Shallmar Residence was a renovation and extension of a house in
Toronto. As a home for art collectors, it functions as a house disguised as
a gallery. The millwork is designed as sculptural and textural elements
to integrate as objects within the gallery.

The main gathering space of level 1 is divided with a spine of marching
totems that integrate kitchen and dining functions. The kitchen island is
designed to channel a Donald Judd floor piece with precise geometrical
forms resting directly on the gallery floor. A wall of millwork runs the
length of the living room and is concealed by a linear texture creating
a series of vertical shadow lines, inspired by the minimalism of Agnes
Martin.

Expansive glazed openings frame views to the lush exterior and flood
the home with natural light to animate the walls. Breaks in the glazing
create framed gallery walls.

A large opening from the upper level sheds light down into the entry
gallery, a long wall lined with the home owners personal collection
featuring important canadian artists. Judd’s influence finds itself evident
in the master bedroom millwork mounted on a gallery-like wall flanked
by wood on the floor and ceiling.

The home oscillates between a livable space for a family of five and
a unique combination of art, objects and architecture that elevate the
experience of space and re-imagine the line between the precious and
the practical.